First Responder Financial Assistance

WHEREAS many local governments in British Columbia have supported their community members by volunteering to deploy a first responder program endorsed by the British Columbia Ambulance Service and the British Columbia Ambulance Service has announced recent changes to their response structure that will delay their provision of pre hospital medical support service; AND WHEREAS the delayed response leaves an expectation that first responders will attend patients until the British Columbia Ambulance Service arrives, which downloads an additional cost for pre hospital medical care to the local community: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of British Columbia Municipalities work with the Province of British Columbia to develop a funding mechanism that will compensate local governments providing pre hospital medical assistance through the first responder program for the additional costs of delayed response by British Columbia Ambulance Services.